Nursing

When to apply depends on your nursing education background.

Application to the nursing program is separate from and in addition to the application to Tarleton. To be considered for the program admission the individual MUST meet admission requirements and submit application materials and *TEAS® scores to the Department of Nursing and application materials to the Tarleton State University Office of Admissions on or before the deadline of March 1st for the fall semester and September 1st for the spring semester.

If you are attending Tarleton, you can declare pre-nursing as your major in your freshman year and begin participating in the activities of the school and work with our nursing advisors.

LVN to BSN Students must apply to Tarleton and to the nursing program.

Application deadline for LVN to BSN Students is

Fall Entry – March 1

The nursing courses must be taken in sequence.  For the generic student it takes five semesters to complete the nursing program sequence once you have been accepted, six including the semester of the pre-nursing course NUR 250.  For the LVN it takes 4 semesters.

First, complete a Tarleton State University application process (admission information at www.tarleton.edu).  You may obtain the application form online or through the Office of Admissions.  Second, make an appointment with a nursing advisor to review your transcript.

When to apply to the nursing program depends on your entry category.

If you are new to nursing education (generic student), you will need to complete a minimum of 46 hours of general academics before you are eligible to apply to the program.

LVN to BSN students must have completed most of the non-nursing courses required, only lacking 3 of the general academic courses before applying to the nursing program.  If not a current Tarleton student the LVN must apply to Tarleton and to the nursing program.  The application deadline for LVN to BSN Students is March 1 for fall entry.

It is to your advantage to meet with a nursing advisor early in your college career.  Nursing programs have different entry requirements and prerequisite courses.  You may be considering several nursing programs.  If yes, you should become knowledgeable about the program prerequisites, application processes and admission deadlines for each program.

Information about tuition and fees can be found on the Tarleton website (http://www.tarleton.edu/bussvcs).  Student expenses specific the nursing program are available in the Tarleton Nursing Student Handbook.  For example, the handbook provides cost estimates of items such as uniforms, books, lab and clinical supplies, application to take the NCLEX-RN and to the Board of Nursing for licensure.

The first and final semesters of the nursing program are commonly the most expensive semesters for the student.

Financial aid at http://www.tarleton.edu/finaid

Scholarship information at http://www.tarleton.edu/scholars

Nursing scholarships are commonly awarded in late May for the following fall semester.  The nursing program has eleven endowed scholarships and awards approximately $55,000 in awards annually.  A nursing faculty committee usually selects scholarship recipients.  Eligibility criteria for each nursing scholarship can be found in the Tarleton Nursing Student Handbook.  Nursing students are also eligible for other Tarleton scholarships.

The School of Nursing has an excellent reputation in the community. Local and state health care providers actively recruit our graduates. The BSN program has both state and national accreditation.  The Texas Board of Nursing has accredited the BSN program annually since the program began in 1995.  In April 2004, the BSN program was reaccredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) for the maximum period of 10 years (2004-2014). 

The annual NCLEX-RN first-time pass rate is defined as the percentage of BSN graduates within examination year (October 1 of one year to September 30 of the following year) who achieve a passing score the first time they take the National Council Licensing Examination for RN (NCLEX-RN).  As cited on the Board of Nursing website our 1st time pass rate for the past five years is provided below.

• 2010 = 82.35% (51 students tested)
• 2009 = 86.21% (58 students tested)
• 2008 = 89.29% (56 students tested)
• 2007 = 74.42% (43 students tested)
• 2006 = 81.03% (58 students tested)

Those who do not pass on their first attempt, typically pass upon repeating the exam.  Very few students must take the exam more than twice.

Generic nursing students are accepted in the spring and fall semesters.

LVN to BSN Students are accepted in the fall semester.

We do not admit students during the summer nor do we usually offer nursing classes in the summer.

A total of 60 generic students are typically accepted each fall and spring.

Twenty LVN to BSN Students may be admitted in the fall semester.

We do not set time limits on prerequisites. However, students are accountable for the content from these program prerequisite courses. You will need current knowledge of the natural and behavioral sciences, English, algebra, and nutrition to be successful in the program.

Yes, we offer a transition program. 

We accept LVN to BSN students into our bachelors program in the fall. 

Effective Fall 2009 we no longer accept RN to BSN Students.

No, second degree students must enter through the generic program.

We typically have just over 400 majors at Tarleton. Approximately 250 of these nursing majors are currently enrolled in nursing courses.

Yes, you will provide patient care in health care agencies under the direction of our experienced faculty.  Prior to working with patients, you will be prepared in the classroom and skills laboratory.  Working with patients begins during the Sophomore II nursing program semester.

Students travel to several clinical sites during the program.  We may use hospitals, physician offices, clinics, and other health related sites in Cleburne, Glen Rose, Granbury, Weatherford, Mineral Wells, Stephenville, Eastland, DeLeon, Brownwood, Hamilton, Killeen, and Temple.  You may often travel as much as 60 miles one-way to a clinical site.  All generic and LVN entry category students will travel to the Waco VA for an inpatient psychiatric experience.  Students must also travel to Dallas for an inpatient pediatric experience.  During the Senior I semester students have clinical rotations at a hospital in Waco.  Although students often carpool during the program, a dependable vehicle is a must.

Many college students work while attending college.  Balancing employment and academic work while enrolled in college is a very individual decision.  Some can do both successfully.  Whether you can successfully do both depends on how many college hours you are taking, your study habits, whether or not you have family or other responsibilities, and the flexibility of your job.  If you are taking 12 or more semester credit hours, you should consider the combined amount of study and class time as a full-time job.

The faculty feels strongly that students should not attempt to work more than 20 hours a week (50% time) while enrolled in the nursing program.  In certain cases, not even this level of work can be sustained because of intensive clinical practice requirements.  A recommended strategy is for students to initially reduce their work schedules when admitted to the program, and then adjust this amount over time as is necessary and manageable.

Students should consider attending school part-time if you must work while you are attending school.  Talk with a faculty advisor to develop the part-time option in the nursing program.

Nationally 9% of students enrolled in nursing programs are male.  At Tarleton, approximately 9% of or nursing student population is male.

Yes, NUR 250 is a 1 hour course that may be taken the semester prior to applying to the program. Students enrolled in NUR 250 is generally used as the applicant pool for the generic program for the following semester.

In rare circumstances a student may take NUR 250 with the first semester of nursing courses. That student must exceed all of the requirements, have completed all of the non-nursing courses and have a high GPA.

The nation is experiencing a critical nursing shortage.  Therefore, the employment markets are more competitive.  Almost all of our graduates already have secured positions well before graduation.

New graduates typically earn $45,00-$52,000 per year or $22 to $25 per hour plus benefits.  More is earned for working holidays, nights, and weekends.  Many hospitals also have a sign-on bonus and/or other perks such as the option to pay a monthly amount toward student loans.

Most agencies have orientation, preceptorships, and internships for those graduates who will (or have already) contract to work with them after graduation.